


Super Smash Family

by JeckParadox



Category: Super Smash Brothers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Alternate Universe - Police, Gang Violence, Gangsters, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-02
Updated: 2015-03-03
Packaged: 2018-03-04 21:23:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3090467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JeckParadox/pseuds/JeckParadox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A mobster AU of Super Smash Bros. <br/>The Mario family used to be feared throughout Smash City, nothing happened without a Mario saying it could. But times change. In the wake of a betrayal from within the family, the organization collapsed, and their kingpin Doctor Mario disappeared. With the power vacuum within the city filled by a half-dozen gangs fighting each other for control and bringing the city down with them. The Triforce, the Koopa Clan, Team Rocket, and the Star Gang rule the city now, and the police can't handle them. <br/>Now, people look upon the old days of the Mario Family as good ones, thinking one well-behaved mob was better than four fighting ones. The people are still loyal to the old family, but without a Mario at the head, no one will follow. <br/>Enter the Mario Brothers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Mario Brothers

"Come on Luigi." Mario said, sniffing the air and grimacing. "It shouldn't be that far."

Luigi nodded, paying the cab fare and picking up his suitcases. "So Mario, who is this guy, really?"

Mario shrugged. "An old friend of Mama and Dad."

Luigi smiled. "So, this is where Dad grew up, right?"

"And Mama." Mario said, smiling. "Doesn't look like much though."

Luigi gestured at the buildings. "Come on Mario, it's the big city! It's only three in the afternoon, you know what they say, life doesn't start til after dark!"

Mario made a noncommital noise and checked the address written down on a scrap of paper. 

The Kong residence was around the edge of the city, in a poorer neighborhood. They found their way there easily enough, and Luigi looked around at the filthy street with a type of naive optimism. Mario looked at the same street with the advice of his father, the condition of each house telling him all he needed to know. He was the elder child, despite being half his brother's size, and he was the one who kept his father's advice. What it told him was that this street wasn't too bad off, that the people here could enjoy safety most of the time, but it was wary. One house though didn't have cracked windows or burnt spots on the lawn.

The Kong's house. That told him that they were feared by those who passed through, the ones who would throw rocks for fun or get in fights. This was a neighborhood out of the way, but still connected to the city's misfortune. A little trickled down, which meant broken windows and scratched mailboxes. But that didn't reach the Kong's building. Luigi knocked on the door a few times and waited, while Mario watched the nearby houses. The door opened a few seconds later, a child opening it with a raised eyebrow. "Who are you? We don't want to buy anything."

Luigi quickly went into his coat, bringing out a letter that had been sent a months ago. "We're Mario and Luigi Mario." He said happily. "Donkey Kong said he would let us live with him while we got situated in the city."

"Who?" The little girl asked, looking at them suspiciously. 

"The Mario Brothers." Luigi said patiently. "Our parents were friends with your grandpa, I think."

"Dixie! Who's that at the door!" Came a shout from within the building. 

"The Mario brothers!" She shouted back. She seemed surprised when there was no immediate response, glancing back at the two and shutting the door without another word. Mario and Luigi shared a glance before the door opened once more, and an old man with a long white beard, leaning on a cane, opened the door and looked at the two of them through his glasses.

"Well, speak of the devil, you look like the spitting image of your old man." He said, making a slightly irritated smile. "Took you long enough to show up. I thought you all were dead."

"Sorry, it took a while to get our stuff together." Luigi explained. "So, you're Donkey Kong?"

The old man laughed. "Call me Ol' Cranky. My Grandson is Donkey Kong now." He smiled once more before turning to glare at the little girl. "Go get the guest room ready! I told you about the Mario brothers a month ago!"

Dixie rolled her eyes and mumbled "I forgot, that's all." And went off to presumably set up a guest room. 

The old man let them in, and had them leave their luggage in the hall, before sitting down in the living room. "...I was kind of surprised when your dad contacted me out of the blue like that."

Mario smiled. "Dad did have a tendency to spring things out of nowhere." 

Luigi nodded. "Like coming here, for instance. Two months ago, he decides that we should follow in the family business, and sends us here." He said this a little ruefully. 

"And ol' Doctor Jumpman Jacopo Mario himself?" Cranky Kong asked. 

"Said it wasn't safe, and that he wasn't interested." Mario said simply. "He decided that it was time for us to fill in his shoes, walk the same path. Take our old man's place while he safely lied back in retirement."

Cranky rolled his eyes. "Well, that's Doctor Mario for you." He hesitated now. "You... do know, what his job was, right?"

Luigi's smile disapeared, and he nodded. "He had a few. He was a GP at his own office, deep in the city, and Mama ran an Italian restaurant. But before then he said he was a plumber, and still made a few odd calls when his friends needed him." Luigi sighed. "Of course, that's just what he did in the daytime, right? He's been cryptic, but Dad did tell us a bit about his 'night work', as he calls it."

Mario nodded as well. "He told me a bit more than Luigi." He frowned. "More of the specifics of it. But not enough." He leaned back in the sofa. "But he also told me that the Mario family fell apart."

Cranky Kong nodded. "It did. But not completely. It never really leaves you, you know. Crime families are called families for a reason." He sighed, looking up the stairs. "My grandson, Donkey Kong Jr., he's not involved with any of these new guys, but he's doing all the same stuff as I did when I was his age." He gave a short laugh. "The same stuff as when your father picked me up. The bodyguarding, the protection money. Bouncer, roughing up kids who bothered shop owners. All that jazz. I didn't teach it to him. He had the physique, and was named Kong, and he picked it up. And it works." He looked at the brothers, and frowned. "What I'm saying is, all the old players, they're still around. And so are their kids. And everyone still remembers your dad's name. If you wanted to follow in the family business like your Daddy wants you too, you'd find people willing to follow you. They all retired, or turned to private work, or joined one of the upstart gangs that popped up since, but you could draw them back in. That Mario family name. It's magic."

Mario frowned. "We'll see."


	2. The Smash City Police Department

"Palutena?"

She looked up from her work, frowning at the young man in front of her. "Yes Rock? I'm sorry I haven't had the time to talk to you lately, but I'm swamped right now."

"I know." He said simply, giving a sympathetic smile. "Me too. But you wanted me to tell you if anything big changed on the street." 

She raised an eyebrow in interest. "Okay, hit me."

Rock nodded. "People are whispering that the Mario family might make a comeback soon."

Palutena opened her mouth in shock, before shutting it again. "...The Marios?"

He nodded. "Doctor Mario isn't returning to the city, he has too many enemies who know how he operates, he wouldn't survive right now, not enough protection. But his heirs are both in Smash City."

"Heirs?"

Rock nodded. "Two brothers, the sons of Jacopo and Pauline Mario. They've already met up with Donkey Kong Sr."

Palutena sat back, considering what it would mean. "We already have too much on our plate. The city is in enough chaos as it is!" She hissed. "How much do you know?"

Rock frowned, sitting down across from her. "Palutena, I'm telling you this because you're my friend, but I haven't looked into this any more than I felt was necessary. One of my sources told it to me off-hand. They've only been here two weeks. Legitimate business, so far. I don't have pictures or details. I heard, decided you should know, and came here." Rock smiled, standing up. "But if you hired me-"

Palutena smirked. "Sorry, 'Megaman', but we just don't have the money right now. Toadstool is breathing down my neck as it is, with all the gangs running around bashing each other's heads in."

Rock kept up his stoic Private Eye look for a few more seconds before softening. "I'll check it out anyway. For the sake of my own interest."

Palutena smiled. "Stay safe."

"Likewise, Chief."

He left quietly, leaving her to contemplate what this could mean for the city. It was the power vacuum left by Doctor Mario that made her current situation. The Star Gang and the Triforce had an open shoot-out in broad daylight the other day without a single gang member getting arrested. It was making the police force look incompetent in the eyes of the city. Made her, Palutena, look incompetent. She could lose her job, and all that she was trying to accomplish with the police force would be undone. The police had been in Doctor Mario's pocket for years, the most corrupt force in the state. Then, the family got a traitor, who began giving tips to the police. Palutena was responsible for a good deal of the police raids that spelled the end of the Mario Family, had allowed her to rise to the position of Chief. 

The years since had been rife with crime, with the power structure of the city's underworld toppled, but it had been a chance for her to sort through the force, find the cops who were crooked, who would give in to the growing threats of new gangs, and fire them, and find the cops who would fight, who had a sense of justice, who wouldn't be bribed, and promote them. It had taken her eight years to clean up the force, and now the gang violence was getting so bad she might lose all of it. 

And then of course, when the time was the absolute worst, the universe had to throw in Mario times two back into the fray. 

She would eventually have to get someone to look into it. Megaman was her oldest friend, and a reliable source of information, but private detectives weren't considered credible by the city. 

Wolf O'Donnell was busy on a Triforce murder case. Falco Lombardi and Fox McCloud were working together on a Koopa Clan drug ring. Marth and Roy were looking into a string of robberies, probably Triforce. Ike was looking into a possible Star Gang front; a cake shop supposedly frequented by key members. Lucina wasn't qualified as yet for this kind of detective work. Which left the Pit brothers, or Detectives Falcon and Aran. 

"Icarus, Dark, get in here!" She shouted. It didn't take long for the twins to arrive, Dark nursing a cup of coffee and glancing down at his watch. 

"Yeah, Chief?" Icarus asked, smiling to see her. 

"Got a tip from a reliable source, says that the spawn of Doctor Mario are walking the streets of Smash city once more." She explained. Dark looked up from his watch, shocked, and now giving her his full attention, while Icarus' smile disappeared. "From what I've been told, they're going around Doctor Mario's old haunts. And have set up a base of operations at the Kong house. Now, these two haven't done anything yet, just testing the waters, it seems. So I want you to look into them as persons of interest."

Icarus nodded. "Alright, we're on it. Names? Pictures?"

She shook her head. "It's an unofficial tip. Scout out Doctor Mario's old fronts and watch the Kong house for a week, tops. If you don't see any sign of them, well, we won't know less for it. Do either of you have a more pressing assignment?"

Dark smiled. "Nothing major."

"Good. Get on it, then." 

The two both saluted, Icarus earnestly and Dark sarcastically, before moving out. 

 


	3. The Koopa Clan

Luigi took to the restaurant easily, as well as it's current head chef, Daisy Sarasa. Mario found himself more drawn to the plumber business, for now. He and Luigi both learned the necessities and details of the business from their father, who had never hired a plumber when he knew how to do the job himself. Their parents, despite having ran from the city without warning, still owned both businesses. 

When the day's work was done they returned to their room in the Kong house. During the first week of their stay they only really interacted with Cranky and Dixie, though Luigi thought he could hear Donkey Kong Jr. and Diddy return at night. 

It was only on the Friday of the second week that the brothers caught the entire DK family at the table. "Ah! Mario Brothers, these knuckleheads here are my elusive Grandsons." Cranky Kong said, proudly. Donkey Kong Jr. was an absolutely massive man, with the body of a pro-wrestler. Diddy in contrast was only a teenager, and small for his age, almost as small as his younger sister, with some peach fuzz on his face. 

"Mario Mario." Mario said, smiling, and offered his hand to shake. Donkey Kong looked at it with disinterest an turned back to his breakfast. 

Dixie sighed and got up from the table. "First time home in the morning in two weeks and you still won't say anything." 

"I don't have anything to say to him." Donkey Kong said simply. "I know why they're here, and I don't want to be involved." He glared at Cranky. "We're too involved already. What with them living here."

Cranky growled. "This is _my_ house, not yours brat. Anyone that I want to let stay, can."

"They're walking targets." Donkey Kong growled back. "And because they're staying with us, so are we. I get it's your house, that's why I haven't thrown them out and locked the doors."

Diddy nodded. "There's been a cop watching the house for the last few days." 

Mario was surprised. "How do you know?"

"I recognize him. Officer 'Kid Icarus' Pit." Diddy explained. "He's actually pretty good at staying hidden, but I know his face. I saw him 'passing through' six times in the last five days. The police are watching us." 

Cranky hissed in anger. "Damn cops, getting too ballsy these days." He smiled at Mario and Luigi. "Back in your Dad's day, the police treated us like royalty. Could push one of them over in broad daylight and they'd just stand back up, dust themselves off, and tip their hats. They didn't mess with us, they didn't touch us. They looked away when we told em' to."

Donkey Kong sighed. "Those days are over, pops, please, please stop bringing them up."

"No, they're not over. Not just yet." He gestured at the Mario brothers. "Just wait, once these two get started up, the streets will know who's family owns them."

Donkey Kong frowned, getting up. "Yeah, sure how great." He said sarcastically. 

"Don't you know what this family owes the Marios?" Cranky growled. 

Donkey Kong looked to the side in defiance. 

"Don't you know? We were nothing, we were what you are right now! Except without any money! We have this house, we have the TV, we have the money, we have the food, the teachers, the music, cause' a Doctor Mario. I was a construction worker!"

"And then you were a crook!" Donkey Kong shouted. 

"I was part of the Family! For the first time in my life I had brothers! I didn't have a Diddy to watch my back when I was your age! It's because of the Mario Family that we can still walk around in the daylight, despite all this chaos going around!"

Donkey Kong frowned, and left the room. Diddy Kong followed without saying anything, just nodding to the two brothers. 

Cranky let out an exhausted sigh, before shouting "You two coming home tonight?"

The house was silent for a few seconds before Diddy answered "We'll be home in time for dinner." 

Cranky shrugged as the door slammed, signalling that the two had left. 

"I'm sorry, we didn't mean to make a disturbance in your house-" Luigi began, but Cranky waved the apology off. 

"Nah, they're always like that. Don't worry about it. You two are welcome here for as long as you want... but I'd try to look into what my Grandsons are doing. It was how I got my start. Learning the ropes and all that."

Luigi frowned, turning to Mario. "I'm not sure we really should even _try_ and follow in Dad's footsteps."

Mario nodded. "We're here to work, for now. I'm not... adverse to getting the Mario Family up and running again, if we ever have a clear shot at it. But right now, I think we should just work on getting situated."

Cranky nodded. "It doesn't matter to me one way or the other what you boys are doing. But there's definitely still influence from your Father's gang. Even now, no one messes with your Mama's restaurant. No one messes with Warp Pipe Plumbers. Heh, no one messes with the Kongs, though that might be common sense, looking at DK Jr. You'll have friends if you're looking for them. Dozens of people have integrated with the new gangs, and who'd probably leave, and weaken them at the same time, to join you."

Mario shook his head. "I'll look into it if it turns up. But for now, just thanks for letting us have a place to stay."

* * *

 

Dark Pit woke up, blinking in the bright light over his head, as he glanced one way and another. The rest of the room was in absolute darkness, or at least compared to the light in his eyes, it was. "Where the hell am I?!" He barked, jerking his hands back and confirming that he was tied to the chair. He heard someone get up in the darkness, and shuffle over to his location. 

"So, you're finally awake." The pink-haired form of Roy loomed into the light, the bright glow reflecting off of his sunglasses. 

"God damn Koopas." Dark hissed, closing his eyes. "@#$%. I'm dead, aren't I?"

Roy shrugged. "Depends."

Dark opened his eyes to glare at his captor, who had brought a-

"A police baton. Clever. Real funny." Dark retorted, rolling his eyes. "I'll tell you what I know, if I can. There's no need to bring that into this."

Roy nodded. "Smart man. What were you doing hanging around Hill Street?"

"Two men were frequenting old Mario territory." Dark said simply. "We got a tip that it might bring up old Mario Family influences. It'd lead to conflict pretty quickly, with you guys and the other gangs trying to assert your supremacy over old Mario supporters. It would mess with a lot of the businesses in the area."

"Two men? Who are they?"

"Don't know. The tipper thinks they might be relatives of Doctor Mario. Thinking they're his 'Heirs', probably expecting the old Family to reform out of nothing."

Roy shook the baton, nudging Dark Pit's arm with it. "Don't know anything, eh? You sure about that."

"We don't have names or faces." Dark said, calmly. "Just a tip."

Roy watched his face for a few seconds, before slamming the baton down on Pit's other arm, rather than the one he nudged. "You sure about that?"

Pit didn't shout, but he gritted his teeth and nodded. Roy frowned, then made a waving motion to someone still in the darkness. Pit didn't have time to blink before he was slammed in the head with the baton, his eyes drifting shut as he lost consciousness. 

"What do you want to do with him, Roy?" Asked one of the Koopa gang members. Roy gestured to the sack lying on the table to the side. 

"We don't need to kill him. The cops are getting mad enough as it is. Just cover him up tight and leave him at a gas station somewhere outside of town." 

The Koopa nodded, and untied Pit from the chair before covering his head with a potato sack  and tying him up once more. 

Roy left the room, going up the stairs and finding a telephone. 

"King." He said. 

The voice on the other side replied in a deep voice "Yes?"

"The cop didn't know much. But the Marios _might_ be coming back. They don't have any proof, but they're suspicious."

"Any details?"

"Two men, frequenting  Doctor Mario's main fronts. Though now all of them are 'legitimate businesses'."

"Hm."

"The cop said that they might be relatives of Doctor Mario."

"...Relatives?"

"I dunno. Neither did he."

"...Seems nobody knows much."

Roy hesitated, the King seemed upset.

"I-I could look into it. We could pay a visit to the Kong house-"

"Donkey Kong Sr. is a powerful man in this community, even if he aint part of any Family with a hold here." The King said. "Don't mess with them just yet."

"I wasn't gonna mess with them... maybe put a watch on the place? See if anyone unfamiliar shows up. We could have goons watching at Pauline's Restaurant and Warp Pipe."

"Do it. Tell me when you find out something... useful."

"Got it King."


	4. The Star Gang' s Boxing Ring

"It's simple really. Just a little security work." He gave a wide smile, everything about him was wide. His belly, his arms, his feet, his face. Dedede was not a small man. 

But DK was one of the few who was almost as big, even if the weight was focused a bit higher up in the chest. 

"I don't know Dedede." Donkey Kong said, sharing a glance with Diddy. "We've been trying to keep out of any of the gangs."

Dedede nodded knowingly, giving a sympathetic smile. "I know, I know son. Your family has done pretty well, living off of your profits from the good ol' days. Me an' Kirby were both there, back in the day, right there with him. I understand that allying yourself with us will get you the ire of pretty-boy or the lizard. But, and I promise this on my honor as a friend of your Granpa': I'll do everything in my power to show my protection to the Kong family. You won't have to worry. Besides, it's not like you're going to be doing anything bad, not even anything illegal." The wide grin showed itself again, and Dedede wrapped one massive arm around Donkey Kong's shoulders. "All you have to do is stand next to me and look tough for two hours. Maybe less."

"You have dozens of your own mooks-"

"Beside Kirby and Meta, none of them would hold a match to you. Everyone in town knows you're the best, DK. And everyone in town knows that you're a, watchacallit, a free agent! Instead of ignoring all of us, work fer' all of us. Go to the Triforce's tomorrow and offer your services, then go to the King and be a bouncer at his Casino for a while. Then see if Mewtwo needs you to do anything."

Donkey Kong frowned. 

Dedede didn't let up, and gave him a playful nudge on the shoulder. "Come on, enter the big bucks. I promise, if anyone messes with the Kong house because of this, I'll beat in their faces personally, and tape a piece of them to every street corner."

Diddy Kong shuddered, and Dedede looked down, wincing. "Sorry, got carried away there. But you know that I'll keep that promise. I'd never let anything happen to Donkey."

"I think we should take it, DK." 

Donkey Kong raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Diddy Kong nodded. "Dedede makes a good point. We don't have to isolate ourselves from the mob, even if we don't want to be a part of it."

He frowned, looking at his younger cousin. "You sure, Diddy?"

Diddy nodded. 

Donkey Kong hesitated for a few more seconds. "...Just bodyguard work?"

Dedede gave a sharp nod. "I'm just visiting the Ring, hoping to catch the match tonight. I've got it pegged as a good one. I just want some extra muscle along. Nothing illegal at all."

"Nothing?"

Dedede shrugged. "Well, I will be handling some business there too, but it's all legal. I own the ring, remember? All legitimate. Just want a bodyguard. It's a schedule thing, see? People know I'm going to be there, so I want to make sure that no one there gets any ideas."

DK considered it for a few seconds. "Alright. When is it, again?"

Dedede grinned, pulling out a flyer. "8 sharp."

DK sighed, "Sorry, no can do. I told Cranky we'd be coming to dinner tonight."

Dedede laughed a little, "now that's a good reason to turn down a mob boss! Heh, make it an early dinner and-" He turned to one of his minions. "Hey, get me what, three? Your sister, right Diddy? Get me three tickets to tonight's match!" The minion gave a thumbs up and left the room. "So, have an early dinner, then bring your grandpa and sister to come see the match. Make it a family event. It'll even make it more official. You don't have to be a part of the Star Gang to appreciate boxing! You could say you took the job so that you could see the match with your family!" He seemed to find it hilarious. 

"...We've got two guests staying with us right now, do you think you could-"

"Sure, sure! Does this mean tonight is a go?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be your bodyguard."

Dedede turned to the door his minion left from. "Make it five tickets!"

* * *

 

Dark Pit woke up at the crack of dawn. He thanked God that he was alive at all. He managed to get up off the concrete and shiver out his chills, looking around. He wasn't that far away, with the Pokemon Tower visible among the skyscrapers of Smash City. He was out of the suburbs though. He went to his pocket, and was pleasantly surprised to see his wallet was still there, as well as all it's contents. He could pay for a cab into the city. 

First though, he had more pressing matters. He rushed to the nearest house, working up a sweat, and knocked on the door. He pulled out his badge so that it would be the first thing whoever opened the door would see. 

The door opened and before the person inside could say anything Pit gruffly said "Police. May I use your telephone?"

"Uh, of course-"

He marched inside, not caring about the mud he tracked in and marching to the nearest phone. He began dialing in Palutena's number, and tapped his foot impatiently as it connected. "Chief, it's me, Dark Pit. I'm alright. A little worse for ware, but I'm alive."

"Oh thank God!" Came Palutena's voice on the other side. "Where the hell were you?"

"The Koopa Clan picked me up." He said gruffly. "They noticed me lurking around Hill Street. Wasn't as subtle as I thought."

"What happened?" She said, deadly serious. 

"I got knocked out on the way to Warp Pipe. When I came to Roy asked me what I was doing."

Palutena made an irritated sound. "Please tell me you told them rather than try and get yourself beaten up like a hero."

Dark laughed. "You're mixing me up with Kid. Yeah, I told them all that I knew. Which wasn't much. Roy broke my left arm anyway."

"He what-!"

"Hey, hey, it's fine. It was a clean break I think. Hurts like a mother@#$% though." He laughed a little. "I'll catch a cab back to the city. Oh yeah, he knocked me out and dropped me off outside the city limits."

"I can send someone to get you-"

"Don't bother. Is Kid okay?"

"Yes, he's fine. Worried sick but-"

"Then it's fine. I think I'll head straight to the hospital, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. And stop interrupting me." 

"I'm taking the two of you off the Mario Brothers."

"That might be a good idea." Dark said, a little less happily. "We are still tracking them though, aren't we?"

"Yeah. I'll put Aran and Falcon on it."

Pit grinned. "Those two can handle anything the Koopa Clan can dish out. Pit out."

He hung up and thanked the homeowner, before making his way down the road, trying to keep his left arm straight and looking for a cab. 

* * *

 

"You'll do fine, Mac." She said simply. 

Doc Louis laughed. "Not just fine, I don't think you'll take a single hit. This guy is called 'Glass Joe' for a reason."

The teenager sucked in a breath and let it out. "I'll be fine. More than fine. Not take a single hit." He almost chanted it. 

Trainer smiled, "Knock him flat out."

"Punch him out." Little Mac reiterated, shaking his head a little and walking up the gate he would enter the ring from. "Punch him out. Punch him out." He psyched himself up for the fight. 

A manager came back stage and gave him the signal, and he and Doc Louis walked out as an announcer introduced him to the audience, clapping wildly. They did the same for Glass Joe, and Mac climbed into the arena. The fight started with the ring of the bell and Mac shot out as fast as he could, ducking every one of Joe's swings and getting in a punch of his own for every one. Within five minutes he was down. Doc handed him a water bottle, and he watched as the ref counted Joe down to ten. It had been easy. Nothing compared to fighting Trainer or Doc. 

He won his next match too, and the next. That was it for the night, and all in all, he felt good about himself. He had taken a few bad hits, but he was still standing proud. 

He was ready to climb out of the ring and go rest up with Doc and Trainer for the rest of the night, maybe celebrate in the morning, when he saw the absolutely massive man walking down the stands, an even bigger bodyguard behind him. "Congratulations to our newest fighter! Little Mac!" The wide man shouted happily. He grabbed Little Mac's arm and lifted him into the air in a triumphant pose. "Now then, Little Mac, how would you like to handle one last challenge, before your through for the night?"

Little Mac watched the man carefully, before noting the look of fear in Doc's eyes. He followed Doc's gaze to the star symbol on the man's belt and hat. 

"Star Gang?" He whispered. 

Dedede grinned. "Well? How about it! One last match! Little Mac vs my boy Donkey Kong here!" The bodyguard raised a surprised eyebrow, but didn't say anything. "If you win, I double the prize money you get from tonight. You lose, no consequence beyond a little nap." 

Little Mac hesitated a few seconds, looking at Doc for advice, but the man just made a tiny, microscopic nod. 

"...What do I have to lose." Little Mac said, putting on a false confidence. 

Dedede cheered, and with a wave to the stands, they audience was cheering too. 

Donkey Kong turned to Little Mac, and waited until a manager came off stage with some red boxing gloves for him. Dedede himself took the place of the Ref, standing just off the ring with a whistle in hand. "First to get knocked out loses. Simple as that. No rounds, no penalties. All-out fight." 

Little Mac gulped as Donkey Kong slammed the two gloves together, having lost the hesitation he possessed and becoming deadly serious. 

The bell rang and Little Mac rushed forward, diving under one of DK's massive swings and delivering an uppercut to the chin and a punch to the stomach. It didn't seem to phase the gorilla of a man much though, and he slammed his arms together, Little Mac ducked out of the way, but heard the clap of DK"s gloves against each other over where his head was a second ago. Mac rolled out of the way and backed up, preparing to block, when DK through another punch that knocked him clear out of the ring and into the ground outside. He tried to keep his eyes open, but Doc came into his vision and shook his head slightly. Mac decided to take the message as a 'stay down', and gave into unconsciousness.

"Donkey Kong Jr. wins!" Dedede cheered, and the audience cheered with him. 

Donkey Kong slid the gloves off and frowned at Dedede as they climbed off the ring and the stands began to file back outside. "That wasn't part of the deal, Dedede."

"What? It was a bit of fun, is all. The rookie was getting too big for his britches. This is his first day professionally. He should have by all rights been knocked out. So I arranged it."

"I want to be paid double for this... debacle." Donkey Kong said, marching up to the upstairs rooms of the building. "I signed up as a bodyguard. Not a prizefighter."

"You could be one, you know. You're good."

"I don't know how to box."

"You could have fooled me!" Dedede broke into laughter. "But you're right. Double it is. My apologies, I was honestly caught up in the moment." In the upstairs room a pudgy man with light pink hair sat, eating a cake, and next to him a younger man with sun glasses and a sword strapped to his back. "Kirby! Meta! You've met Donkey Kong, right?"

Meta Knight tipped his head in a greeting, while Kirby got up and shook his hands. "Nice to meet you!" Kirby said happily. "I worked with your Grandpa in Doctor Mario's gang back when I was kid! Nice to meet you! You look just like him!"

"Uh... Thanks."

Meta Knight leaned over the table, clearing away some of the edibles with no small amount of disgust. "Pigs." He said under his breath, "how either of you got anything done around here is beyond me."

Dedede chuckled good-naturedly and patted Donkey Kong on the back. "Well, good work tonight kid. Better than good, really. You only needed to stand here, and instead you fought a professional boxer!"

"I punched out a kid on his first day."

"He'll be fine. Don't worry about it. I'm putting something extra in his part of the prize money anyway."

He opened up a suitcase full of money, letting it sit in clear view of Donkey Kong, and took his time counting out the payment, and then making a show of doubling it. He handed the payment to Donkey Kong casually, and DK got the message immediately. There was money in the Star Gang. There was in the Koopa Clan too, and Team Rocket, and the Triforce. 

Dedede was trying to recruit him, again. "...Thanks for the tickets, Dedede." Donkey Kong said simply, and Dedede waved him off with a "You're welcome"

He met up with the rest of his family outside, with Cranky Kong and Dixie complimenting him on his impromptu boxing match. Luigi expressed some concern over the boxer, but Donkey Kong explained what Dedede had told him, and that he'd be alright. 

"Those... were some good moves." Mario praised.

DK shrugged. "Just did what felt natural."

"No, no, I see that. But, you're built for it. My Dad would say you're a natural-born fighter, Donkey. We saw how that kid moved and how hard and how well he could time his punches, and you just shrugged them off when they connected and overpowered him. You're good."

DK hesitated, "...thanks."

Diddy frowned and hung near the back of the group with Donkey as they made their way back to the bus stop. "What happened?" Diddy asked. 

"Exactly what you saw. Dedede said it was a spur-of-the moment thing, to put the challenger, what's his name, little Mac? Yeah, Little Mac, in his place. Apparently he wasn't supposed to win in his first three fights. So he brought me in to show that Little Mac was a rookie after all, and that the others didn't throw their matches."

"He gave you extra I hope."

"Doubled it."

Diddy smiled appreciatively. "Well then, tonight wasn't a waste. Maybe working with the different bosses has its advantages, though we do need to make it clear, and soon, that we're not loyal specifically to the Star Gang."

The older man nodded. "We might have made a mistake." He gestured behind him at the Ring, "that was more public support for Dedede than I would have liked. I mean, I literally fought on his command. Other gangs aren't going to think I'm neutral after tonight."

"Like I said, quickly... If you want I could head over to the Triforce' hideout."

DK shook his head. "Not tonight. Tomorrow. I don't want to stay out after dark right now."

DK shrugged, putting his hands up in surrender. "Fine then. Tomorrow."

"And bring Mario with ya'." The two turned, startled, toward their Grandfather. "He should start looking into the gangs of the city too. He's just seen the boss of the Star Gang, he should at least get a good look at what the other gangs do."

Mario frowned. "There's no need for that. Me and Luigi are here to work legitimately for now! There's no rush."

Cranky laughed. "Sure, sure, but just check it out. I know those two are doing the nicer, more legal work. Bodyguarding, intimidation, that stuff. You could do it to. Just try it out."

Mario considered it for a few seconds. "If Donkey and Diddy are okay with it, I'll tag along, but I'm not promising anything."

The two cousins shared a look before simultaneously shaking their heads. "No way."

* * *

 

He sat in the shadow of the street, eyes shaded by sunglasses, and watched as a Koopa car came down the street. It wasn't one of their signature cars; royal violet convertibles, but he could see by the way they drove, and by what the people inside wore, that this was the Koopa Clan's idea of scouting incognito. Or at the very least Roy's idea of spying incognito. His eyes followed the car as it parked in a somewhat hidden alley, where no one would notice it unless it had been pointed out. 

It was really the same strategy as his own. A person was easier to hide than a car though, so he could afford to be closer. And afford the time and energy it took to get comfortable in his hiding spot. The entire family got together around 4:00 for an early dinner, and from there the entire Kong family, and the two supposed Mario Brothers- scratch that, definite Mario Brothers, or at the very least damn good impersonators, they looked just like the pictures of Doctor Mario,- left around 7:00 to catch a bus downtown, to Star Gang territory specifically. 

Rock Miguel Light, Private Eye, was known throughout Smash City as the Megaman. He never failed a case that he accepted, and if he didn't find what he was looking for, he never failed to bring back proof it didn't exist. He had a reputation for succeeding when it was thought to be impossible, to be beyond human. 

It didn't hurt that he was someone who had personally angered every crime boss in the city and still didn't have a scar on him. But that had less to do with his detective skills and more with his extremely accurate and liberal use of a Tommy gun. 

He left his hiding spot and moved quietly through the alleys and backways, always keeping the group within sight. They get on a bus, and he gets on with them, carefully keeping disinterested in them, and he gets off the stop after they do, to avoid and suspicion, and quickly backtracked, and caught them entering the Smash City Boxing arena, well known territory of the Star Gang. 

Rock moved to the back of the building, and entered through the back door, remaining off stage to watch the Kong family sitting in the audience, minus Donkey Jr.

Donkey Jr. is sitting on the right side of Dedede, in the seat of honor, above and behind the stands, with a clear view of the ring itself. 

The match proceeds, a rookie, a very skilled rookie, Rock could see, though, aced his way through three rounds, which upset Dedede. Rock followed Dedede and his bodyguard, Donkey Jr. as they moved down the stands and into the ring itself, and watched the resulting battle between Kong and the rookie. Yeesh. Experience trumps youth, it seems. He leaves the building with the audience, quickly joining the excited crowd that had seen four matches for the price of three, and picking out the Mario brothers within the crowd. From there it was the equally simple matter of following them back to their home undetected. At no point did either of the Marios make contact with Dedede, thought the Kongs showed a high degree of cooperation, for a family that stayed neutral for so long. 

He snapped two pictures and left for the night. He would have to look into Doctor Mario's own records in order to make sure, but this would be information Palutena could use. 


	5. Chapter 5

"Chief." Palutena looked up from her paperwork and breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of both the twins standing in front of her.

"Oh thank God. How's your arm?"

"I can't be on active duty for at least seven weeks." He frowned. "He didn't get my gun hand, but I can't exactly do fieldwork with this thing in the way."

Palutena nodded. "Tell me when you can return to duty. Icarus, what about you?"

"I'm fit as ever, Chief." He said proudly, before drooping somewhat and looking embarrassed. "Though I do want to take a few days off to take care of Dark."

"Understandable, but return as soon as possible."

"Chief, there's someone here to see you." Robin said, leaning into the room. "Private Eye, the famous one."

"Detective Light? Let him in."

Megaman entered and nodded a greeting to the twins, before turning to Palutena. "I looked into them." He pulled out a bunch of folded papers held together with a paperclip from somewhere within his blue trench coat. 

Palutena scanned through it quickly, stopping and staring at the pictures. "...No doubt about it, these two are definitely the sons of Doctor Mario. Or if not, they're close enough." She looked through the rest. "This is troubling. The Kong family made ties with the Star Gang?!"

Megaman shook his head. "Unlikely."

"What do you mean? The entire Kong family went to the Ring, bringing the Mario Brothers with them, and Donkey Kong was standing at Dedede's right side the whole time? Fought for him at his bidding?"

"You just said it, the _entire_ Kong family. It doesn't fit. Either the Mario Brothers would go off with Cranky, Diddy, and Donkey to meet with Dedede privately. But Donkey Kong was working with Dedede without the help of any other member of the Kongs, and the Mario Bros, as well as everyone else from the group, never contacted Dedede in any way shape or form during the whole event."

"Except through Donkey Kong." Palutena said.

Megaman shook his head. "Donkey Kong was in clear view with Dedede the whole time, only in private area for ten minutes tops, and the rest of the family was watching the match earnestly. Not to mention the girl was there. The Kong family has remained neutral for too long, even if the Marios were pressing them to join up with the Stars, or whatever you think was going to happen, the Kongs would never bring in the last innocent member of their family." He said passionately.

"I don't know. It's still suspicious."

Rock looked determined. "The Kongs are a problematic family, but they don't put themselves at risk. I've been keeping tabs on them ever since I came here. I know them. I've done business with them. If this had anything to do with the gangs, they wouldn't bring Dixie anywhere near it."

Palutena frowned. "Alright. But there's still a high probability that the Mario Brothers and the Kongs had some kind of gang-related dealing. The Star Gang is made up mostly of the Mario Family's non-retired lieutenants. At least, the ones who didn't go into the Koopa Clan. It's the place where they'd find the most potential loyalty."

The Private Investigator gave a kind of sad smirk. "Well, then I feel bad for them. Because Dedede would under no circumstance accept anyone else as the leader of his gang. Under no circumstance accept anyone as in a position of authority over him." 

He turned and left, giving a parting wave before disappearing back into the chaos of the city. Palutena sighed and turned back to the information he had given her, and delivered the pictures to Robin to blow up and copy. The entire force would know the faces of the Mario Brothers.

* * *

 Mario hesitated before leaving the house. Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong had left ten minutes ago, but he had overheard the address. He sat on the front step, watching the opposite street. 

He was considering whether or not to follow them. It was a pivotal point in his life, he reasoned. He knew where Dedede's base of operations was, or at least one of them; the boxing ring. Donkey Kong had been doing bodyguard work for him, and he had seen him go upstairs with Dedede, and come down without him. And now, he knew where you could meet the Triforce. 

Where Dedede was a business-type gangster, more a shady businessman unafraid to take illegal actions for more money than an a criminal, the Triforce were the opposite. They were hooligans, teenagers and young people who had found weapons, and strength in numbers, and proceeded to have fun. They kept afloat through pure crime without even a shadow of legitimacy. Burglaries, bank robberies, muggings, prostitution, buying whatever they can and selling to whoever they can without any sense of order. But then again, if they weren't organized, if they weren't successful, they'd have collapsed and been absorbed into the other gangs by now. That was where the Triforce themselves came in, the founders and indisputable rulers of the Gang: Zelda Harkinian; the Brains. Ganondorf Dragmire; the Brawn. And Link Kokiri; the Balls. 

The two gangs were opposed ideologically and literally. And it was a fight that made profit. Dedede charged protection money from the businesses and residences in his territory, where other Gangs used the term 'protection money' as buying protection from the Gang itself, Dedede meant it literally and honestly. The looming threat of burglars and vandals from the Triforce made people willingly pay for Dedede's security service. This had the effect of making Dedede's part of town the richest and safest, meaning that when the Triforce did manage to get around the Star Gang's defenses the payoff was better than anywhere else in town. 

If Mario wanted to take over this city, as his father intended for him, he would have to deal with the two groups. Dedede might be interested in joining with him, he apparently worked for his father happily enough. But the Triforce was made entirely from new blood. They'd have to be squashed if he wanted to own Smash City. And it'd be easy to do; take down any one of the three leaders of the Triforce, and the rest of their gang would fall apart. 

If he was going to start. He should start soon. He had two leads into the underworld of Smash city now. And two... well not friends, but connections. That and Cranky's assurances of there being loyalty to his father throughout the city, that he was ripe to inherit. 

Mario had never had an aversion to the stories his father told him, the way Luigi did. Luigi was much more his Mother's Son. Preferring to ignore Dad's stories and focus on the better and lighter talents of cooking and plumbing. Mario didn't really thirst for the life of a mobster, he had no interest in gunfights or crime. He didn't get a thrill from fighting, though their father made sure he and Luigi were both good at it, hopefully better than anyone they would have to fight. He had never liked or disliked the idea of being a part of the mafia. The town he grew up in was completely without crime, where he lived in comfort. His dad would take him on trips into a nearby city, and show him the signs he was looking for. Showing him and explaining what kinds of jobs there were in the underworld of a city. 

He had been educated and raised by a mob boss. His father had never held anything back about his old life, and told Mario that when he was older, he expected him to follow in the family business. Now he was an adult, a plumber first and foremost, but he had the knowledge and training to be a mob boss. When his father sent him to Smash city, he had gone without complaint. But the question was; did he want to be a mob boss? Luigi didn't, never had. And he didn't think less of his brother for it. But he had always assumed that was the way it was always going to be, with him following his Dad's footsteps as Luigi followed their Mama's. But he could just as easily keep working a plumber, avoiding the mafia like all the other ordinary people of the city. Luigi could run his mother's restaurant. The name Mario would protect them whether they turned to crime or not. 

He watched the street lamp across from him fizzle on, and listened to the sounds of the city in the distance. The windows all over the neighborhood were still light, the evening just beginning. 

He had time to think about it, he decided. He walked back in the house, and saw that Luigi was leaning on the wall of the hallway, watching him like he had just watched the street.

"You let them go without you?" Luigi said, slightly hopeful.

Mario shook his head. "I have time." He said simply. Patting his brother on the shoulder as he passed. "I have time to think about what I want to do next. For now, plumbing's fine."

Luigi nodded, smiling. 

* * *

 

"King." Roy said, with a smile.

"Yes, what is it?" Came the gravelly voice over the phone. 

"We've been watching the Kong house for a while. They have two new guests, and they look like the mirror images of the Doctor Mario."

"So. The Mario Brothers exist, then?"

"Definitely. Same guys who were hanging around the old Mario fronts too." Roy affirmed. The other side of the phone was quiet for a while, and Roy worried that the connection had somehow been lost. "...Boss?"

"King."

"Ah! Yeah, King. Sorry." Roy hesitated for a few more seconds, before asking "What do you want me to do?"

"I'm thinking." Roy waited on the line for three minutes, in absolute silence. 

"I want you to follow their every move. I want to know who this guy's friends are. Who he's spoken too. Which people on the street smile when he smiles."

"We know the Kong's-"

"I've got my own plans for the Kongs. You know that."

"Yeah, yeah. But they'd probably have the same friends, right?"

"I don't think so. But that's what you're going to find out, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"I want to know who's got a hold over the Brothers. Any kind of connection with them. And where those people live."

Roy didn't say anything, but shiver in anticipation. The King hadn't gone on a manhunt like this in a long time. "You think these guys are going to be trouble?"

"Trouble is their last names." The King said too happily. "Get to it."

"Got it-" he began, but the phone had already been hung up on the other side. 

He turned to his minions, who had been waiting patiently. "There are two Italian men living at the Kong house. The King wants to give them the family treatment."

* * *

"Well look who it is." Link said, grinning. "The DK Crew." The redhead next to him grinned and idly spun a knife around her fingers. "What a surprise."

Donkey Kong looked between the two of them, and the hooligans wielding weapons sitting on whatever they could find in the massive warehouse. He didn't like the Triforce much. 

Diddy Kong though, looked right at home. The loose T-shirt and baseball cap was a common look for the young criminals. All of them were teens or young enough to fit in with them. He had been almost recruited a few times, but held true to Kong neutrality. He kept a good relationship with the Triforce all the same. "Hey Link. Me and my Cousin here were looking for work."

His right-hand woman frowned, gesturing to the two of them. "I thought your family didn't want to have anything to do with any of the gangs."

Diddy smiled. "We've decided that there's no harm in accepting work wherever we find it. We took a bodyguarding job yesterday from Dedede."

Her eyes narrowed, but Link was just a good-natured as before. "I heard. You even joined in the event from what I've been told. Punched out one of Dedede's boxers."

Donkey Kong nodded. "We decided yesterday  we would take work with the gangs, provided we keep out neutrality. We worked for Dedede yesterday, we work with you today, if you have a job within our skill set you want doing."

Midna frowned. "What's your angle? Did Dedede set you up for this?"

Donkey Kong shook his head. "We accepted a job from a member of the Star Gang, but more than anything else we want to keep neutral. That's why we're here. To even things out, to show we're still not putting any one side over another."

She turned to Link. "I don't trust them. They admitted to working with Dedede. We should just kill them."

Donkey Kong backed up slightly, but Diddy kept his eyes trained on Link. "There's no plan, nothing. We're not working for the Star Gang, we're here, asking for the work you've been offering us for two years. It's the same deal you offered me not five months ago, keeping neutral while still being your muscle, so long as you won't get mad when we're being muscle for someone else."

Link frowned, and turned to Midna. "You really think something's up?"

She looked back toward the two, frowning for a few seconds before rolling her visible eye. "No. I don't have a bad feeling. I just think it'd be safer to kill them."

He turned back toward the Kongs and got out of his chair. "Alright then, you two are here looking for work. We've been meaning to take some of Koopa's shroom shipment for a few months now. Zelda says tomorrow night would be a good time. Donkey helps with the muscle in loading us up, Diddy's working with the lookouts."

Donkey Kong hesitated. They didn't like being so involved in an outright robbery, but they had been backed into a corner. "Alright, we'll do it."


End file.
